Slick commute could be start to dangerous travel weekend

A Freezing Rain Advisory is in effect in the Chicagoland suburbs until 3 p.m. , which could make it difficult for people traveling for the holiday.

A Freezing Rain Advisory is in effect in the Chicagoland suburbs until 3 p.m. , which could make it difficult for people traveling for the holiday.

Lauren Zumbach And Juan Perez Jr.Tribune reporters

Motorists and pedestrians in the north and northwest suburbs should expect a slick afternoon commute, the National Weather Service warns, as the area gears up for a busy — and potentially dangerous — holiday travel weekend.

Today is expected to be the busiest holiday travel day at both airports, with 209,000 passengers predicted to go through O’Hare and more than 66,000 passengers at Midway, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

Among the more compelling tales of those battling flight delays this morning was that of John Heinz and Katie Byrnes, who were hoping their 1 p.m. flight to Las Vegas, delayed 50 minutes, wouldn't be pushed back any more. The Lake Shore East couple was on a tight schedule to make their 6 p.m. wedding, followed by an exchange of vows on a helicopter ride over the Las Vegas Strip.

The trip got off to a rocky start when the couple found out they'd have to check the suitcase with a broken zipper that held their rings.

But Heinz said he was too excited to worry much. They'd planned the trip three weeks ago, deciding to surprise their families by showing up at Christmas wearing their rings, said Heinz and Byrnes, carrying garment bags with the tuxedo and dress. Byrnes's hair was already styled and adorned with a white bow.

"We planned a really fun trip, and this is more our style," Heinz said before they speed-walked toward the security checkpoint. Earlier today, the weather service issued a freezing rain advisory for eight Illinois counties, including Lake, McHenry and Kane counties, in effect until 3 p.m. Light freezing rain and drizzle is expected to fall through the early afternoon as temperatures cool through midday, forecasters said.

A glaze of ice up to a tenth of an inch thick could occur. But the severity of slickness in Chicago and the rest of Cook County was unclear.

“It really just depends on how the temperatures go here,” said Amy Seeley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Temperatures in the area were relatively mild, with O'Hare holding at 34 degrees most of the morning.

“It’s mainly to the east and north of the city,” Seeley said.

The morning’s precipitation is the appetizer to a second storm system that could drop a significant amount of snow and sleet during the weekend. That could mix with freezing rain on Saturday night, the weather service said, creating a new glaze of ice.

Back at O’Hare, Jane Lionberger and Lynn Richmond, of Evanston, were less worried about any weather delays than the fact that their airline couldn't find records of their tickets, purchased more than six months ago for a week-long trip to Barbados.

Standing by the check-in counter, Richmond said there was no way the flight was leaving without them.